[Seon Woojin.]
A voice like a strange resonance struck Bu Eunseol’s mind directly.
[Today, you die.]
Bu Eunseol could not understand it.
Given Seon Woojin’s status, he had never opposed the Three Realms, nor had there been any notable conflict.
So why would someone on the level of the Supreme Emperor carry out a killing operation?
Could it be that Baekri Mujo was actually someone from the Infinite Realm, and they had dispatched the Supreme Emperor to protect him?
“Impressive. To envelop yourself in such overwhelming true qi waves and create an illusory phantom form.”
Though his mind was racing with thoughts, Bu Eunseol deliberately put on a greatly surprised expression.
The setting was that Seon Woojin knew about the Three Realms but was not deeply familiar with them. Moreover, right now he was not appearing as Bu Eunseol, so naturally this was his first encounter with the Supreme Emperor.
He had to show an appropriate reaction.
“I am Seon Woojin, Lord of the Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division from the Martial Alliance.”
Bu Eunseol clasped both hands together with dignity, projecting the clear composure of a cloudless sky.
“Judging by your presence, you appear to be a reclusive senior of the martial world. May I ask you to reveal your identity?”
His demeanor was perfect for a young rising star and core member of the new generation in the Martial Alliance.
The Supreme Emperor stared intently at Bu Eunseol’s relaxed face, then gave a slight nod.
‘Indeed… a talent worthy of crossing blades evenly with the Sword Demon.’
“And you are?”
[I have no reason to tell you.]
When the cold voice returned, Bu Eunseol felt a touch of confusion.
In the past, even when this Supreme Emperor had come to kill him, his attitude and tone had remained consistently magnanimous and leisurely.
But now the Supreme Emperor spoke with the utmost coldness and ruthlessness, exactly like an assassin who had come for the kill.
“You said you were going to kill this Lord earlier. Is that correct?”
The Supreme Emperor nodded readily.
[Indeed.]
“Even if I die, at least let me know the reason before I go.”
When Bu Eunseol asked boldly, sharp eyes formed within the white shadow of the Supreme Emperor.
[You’re a little different from what I heard.]
Staring straight into Bu Eunseol’s eyes, the Supreme Emperor showed a puzzled expression.
“What you heard?” Bu Eunseol tilted his head. “If you don’t even know me properly, why do you want to kill me?”
The Supreme Emperor glared at Bu Eunseol intently. Then, slowly, he spoke.
[If you want to hear the reason, I’ll tell you.]
His voice was utterly frigid.
[If someone can reach parity with the Sword Demon, they will become a major obstacle in the future. Your existence hinders the great undertaking of our realm.]
“The great undertaking, is it.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
It was clearly just an excuse—he wasn’t going to believe it anyway.
The only question was whether the Supreme Emperor’s appearance was related to Baekri Mujo, or whether the timing had coincidentally aligned by chance.
‘There’s no way someone of the Supreme Emperor’s caliber would serve as Baekri Mujo’s underling.’
Clearing away idle thoughts, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Fine. Then let’s cross blades once.”
The moment the word “then” left his mouth, Bu Eunseol unleashed the Iron Lightning Eighteen Palms of the Kwangyang Sect in rapid succession.
In the past, the Supreme Emperor’s strength had been so great that Bu Eunseol had needed to use Seven Blood Tear Forms while prepared for mutual destruction.
Of course he had achieved another dramatic leap in power since then, but right now he was Seon Woojin.
He could not use his true martial arts… so he struck first.
Swaaak!
From both of Bu Eunseol’s arms, which had poured out the eighteen palms consecutively, six strands of razor-sharp force surged forth, piercing toward the Supreme Emperor’s body.
He had executed one of the secret techniques of the Thirteen Guiding Energies.
Paaa!
But at that moment, something astonishing happened.
Just as it seemed Bu Eunseol was unleashing the Thirteen Guiding Energies, he suddenly activated an instant movement technique and began fleeing at high speed.
‘A frightening fellow. Quick judgment as well.’
The Supreme Emperor watched Bu Eunseol flee without hesitation, then narrowed his eyes.
When someone reaches a high position at a young age, no matter how humble their personality, they inevitably become arrogant deep down.
Yet even after rising to become one among the Four Gods and Seven Kings, holding an important post in the Martial Alliance, and even recently fighting the Sword Demon to a draw, he did not overestimate his strength and immediately chose to flee.
Whoooosh.
Bu Eunseol’s figure was escaping the area faster than lightning.
But at that instant—
Bwooooo!
A bizarre trumpet-like roar echoed from the distant sky, and suddenly strange light began surging up around a thirty-zhang radius.
Kwaaaaa!
But Bu Eunseol’s movement technique, while ordinary, was lightning-swift.
Before the strange light could enclose him, he swiftly escaped its range.
Flash!
Then brilliant light flashed from the distant sky and shot straight toward the fleeing Bu Eunseol.
‘Sword qi?’
A strange sight.
Previously the Supreme Emperor had consistently used bizarre, almost sorcery-like power but now he was displaying profound martial principles, firing massive sword qi directly in front of himself.
‘Is he instantly analyzing the enemy’s martial scripture like a formation master, then deploying tactics and techniques tailored to counter it?’
Pat!
His thoughts were long, but his actions were short.
Dodging the sword qi and landing back on the ground, Bu Eunseol tried to change direction—
Shu-shu-shu-shu!
Dozens of sword qi that the Supreme Emperor had already prepared were hovering motionless in the air, sealing off every path of retreat.
[Running is pointless. Just die peacefully.]
Paaaa!
The dozens of sword qi paused in midair now poured toward Bu Eunseol’s body in an instant.
Swiik! Swiik!
At that moment sharp force whirled fiercely around Bu Eunseol’s body, erasing each incoming sword qi one by one.
He had unleashed the Thirteen Guiding Energies once again.
Paang!
Suddenly, with an explosive sound, waves of true qi spread in all directions.
Among the sword qi the Supreme Emperor had unleashed were some that contained the principle of shattering.
‘He’s strong.’
Bu Eunseol swallowed dryly.
The Supreme Emperor not only wielded sword qi as though it were a living creature, but, like the supreme master of hidden weapons, the Ten Finger Shadow Ring, he was distributing separate martial principles into each individual strand of sword qi.
Of course Bu Eunseol could do the same, but it required intense posture and a brief moment of preparation.
The Supreme Emperor on the other hand performed such techniques continuously and effortlessly, without revealing any preparatory movement.
‘Moreover, the matchup is unfavorable.’
While Bu Eunseol needed to use fist and kick techniques to unleash the force of the Thirteen Guiding Energies, the Supreme Emperor moved like a phantom, freely firing sword qi.
That meant the initiative was always one step ahead of Bu Eunseol.
Chwaaak!
In the meantime the Supreme Emperor created thousands of razor-sharp sword qi strands in the air, fanning them out like a folding fan.
The pale-yellow light they carried clearly contained world-shaking power, meaning even a graze would be devastating.
Whiiing!
At that instant, jet-black sword qi instantly spread from Bu Eunseol’s Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
With no other way to block sword qi of the same caliber, he immediately executed a variation of the Heon Won Bright Sword—the Heaven Beyond Flying Immortal.
“Haaap!”
With a shout, Bu Eunseol drew his sword; dazzling radiance burst from the tip in all directions with a paat! sound.
A vast curtain of light spread outward in concentric circles, beginning to annihilate every single one of the thousands of sword qi strands.
[You learned it incorrectly.]
But at that moment, along with a low voice—
Kwang!
—an explosion rang out, and Bu Eunseol was instantly blown more than ten zhang away.
“Ptoo.”
Bu Eunseol immediately corrected his stance and spat out a small clot of blood the size of a pebble.
The sword art the Supreme Emperor had displayed was flawless and seamless, completely overwhelming the Heaven Beyond Flying Immortal in one move.
[You really are something.]
The Supreme Emperor let out an admiring sigh.
[To block the Demon-Encompassing Heaven-Shaking Art with a patched-together, incorrect version of the Heon Won Bright Sword…]
Bu Eunseol was startled twice in that instant.
The first reason was that the Supreme Emperor spoke as though he had seen the complete, authentic manual of the Heon Won Bright Sword.
The second was that the Supreme Emperor had executed sword learning recorded in the Demon-Encompassing Heaven-Shaking Scripture, a text written by the Eternal Blood Demon—who had once been the leader of the Black Spirit Sect.
Of course, it wasn’t surprising that a high-ranking figure of the Infinite Realm had learned a demonic art secret manual that had been eradicated hundreds of years ago.
The real issue was that the Eternal Blood Demon was known as the great demonic successor who inherited the Demon Cult’s lineage.
“So you’re a descendant of the Demon Cult. Seeing that you’ve learned their sword arts…”
When Bu Eunseol muttered as though unaware of his true identity, sharp eyes formed once more in the Supreme Emperor’s shadow.
[Who knows.]
The Supreme Emperor slowly extended his right hand, now enveloped in light.
[Enough chatter. Now die.]
From his palm, a needle-sharp sword slowly began to take shape.
At the same time, explosive light erupted before Bu Eunseol’s eyes as countless needle-like sword qi poured forth.
Because they were finely shattered by the sunlight, it was impossible to distinguish which were real sword qi and which were illusions.
It was a move comparable to the Demon-Encompassing Heaven-Shaking Form— the legendary orthodox sword immortal Jin Hong-ja’s Pointed Light Explosive Stream Form.
‘I can’t avoid it.’
Having anticipated another Demon-Encompassing Heaven-Shaking Form and prepared accordingly, Bu Eunseol was caught completely off guard.
The needle-like sword qi were already right in front of him.
It was too late to execute the Heon Won Bright Sword or the Thirteen Guiding Energies.
At that moment, a yellowish light burst from Bu Eunseol’s pupils.
Time seemed to flow extremely slowly; the entire world appeared frozen.
Faced with the brink of death, the Nangyang Heart Eye activated spontaneously.
‘The Supreme Emperor’s martial arts have reached an immeasurable realm.’
As he confronted the pouring Pointed Light Explosive Stream Form, Bu Eunseol realized just how lofty the Supreme Emperor’s martial attainment was.
The earlier Demon-Encompassing Heaven-Shaking Form had been a trap—a feint designed to weigh down the body’s reactions and legs so that this move could never be avoided.
‘I can’t block it with the Thirteen Guiding Energies.’
Gazing at the brilliantly pouring torrent of light, a strange realization flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
Time flowed more slowly than ever.
Because his martial attainment had broken through the Supreme Heavenly Realm, and because of the Nangyang Heart Eye—which instantly penetrated every martial art—his brain operated dozens of times faster than an ordinary person’s, making perceived time stretch endlessly.
‘If it were the Martial Emperor, how would he have handled this single move?’
The Supreme Emperor’s Pointed Light Explosive Stream Form had been cultivated to the level of divine entry.
It captured the perfect instant, becoming an unavoidable ultimate swift-killing sword.
Yet even though Bu Eunseol had inherited the absolute learning of the Martial Emperor—whom the Three Realms feared so greatly—he was now being absurdly defeated by the orthodox and demonic ultimate techniques displayed by the Supreme Emperor.
‘Do I really have to face it head-on?’
In that instant, the fundamental dharma gate of the Martial Emperor’s True Enlightenment—the root of the Thirteen Guiding Energies—rose in Bu Eunseol’s mind.
‘Isn’t the pinnacle of martial arts… ultimately returning to nothingness?’
The Martial Emperor had combined various orthodox martial arts to create a style that fired razor-sharp force.
But there had always been a question.
Even though he possessed five hundred years of internal energy, why did the Thirteen Guiding Energies only produce thirteen strands?
Could it be that the “Thirteen Guiding Energies” weren’t thirteen separate strands of force at all, but something manifested in an entirely different way?
Pssht!
In that moment, hundreds of needle-like sword qi poured into Bu Eunseol’s body.
Papapapa!
Pierced by the Pointed Light Explosive Stream Form, Bu Eunseol was sent flying more than twenty zhang backward, drenched in blood.
[Heh.]
The Supreme Emperor let out a low chuckle.
Having been struck squarely by the Pointed Light Explosive Stream Form, even if that fellow Seon Woojin had somehow mastered the Diamond Indestructible Body, there was no longer any hope of survival.
[…!]
But as the Supreme Emperor examined Bu Eunseol’s condition, strange pupils formed in his shadow.
Even though his entire body had been hit by the Explosive Stream Form, there wasn’t a single fatal wound?
‘What went wrong?’
Thoughts were long, but action was lightning-fast.
Flash!
The Supreme Emperor unleashed the Pointed Light Explosive Stream Form toward Bu Eunseol once again.
Papapa!
Hundreds more points of light pierced Bu Eunseol’s body.
No—they passed straight through.
Swiik, swiik!
With a bizarre wind sound, Bu Eunseol’s body suddenly became hazy and the sword qi had simply gone through him?
Among the profound mysteries of the Martial Emperor’s supreme art from four hundred years ago, the Thirteen Guiding Energies included not only powerfully firing intense force, but also—in moments of crisis—creating powerful vortex-like force around the entire body to perfectly deflect enemy attacks.
‘Ho.’ The Supreme Emperor instantly understood the situation and nodded. ‘So that is the Martial Emperor’s martial art.’
A strange thing indeed.
When Bu Eunseol had previously used the Thirteen Guiding Energies to block attacks, the Supreme Emperor had said nothing.
But now, seeing the Thirteen Guiding Energies executed after sudden enlightenment, he asked if it was the Martial Emperor’s art.
In other words, to the Supreme Emperor’s eyes, all the previous uses of the Thirteen Guiding Energies by Bu Eunseol had looked like mere basic forms of some other martial art—not the true Thirteen Guiding Energies.
‘I see.’
Realization filled Bu Eunseol’s eyes with brilliant radiance.
In truth, the raw power of the Thirteen Guiding Energies had not changed.
By simply applying one of the dharma gates of the Martial Emperor’s True Enlightenment—creating an intense whirlwind—he had transformed it into a unique strange art capable of deflecting any martial technique.
‘Even the same martial art can produce vastly different results depending on how it is used.’
Until now, Bu Eunseol had treated the Thirteen Guiding Energies as a bundled combination of various orthodox supreme techniques, used solely as an effective offensive method that cleaved through everything with accompanying destructive force.
But the true capability of the Thirteen Guiding Energies was not that.
Unbound by fixed form, freely changing in any way according to the practitioner’s individuality and enlightenment, it was a heavenly-transforming, myriad-changing martial art.
‘I’m fortunate to be a disciple of the Nangyang Pavilion.’
The Nangyang Heart Eye—this mysterious realm that instantly penetrated the principles of any martial art—did not only analyze the enemy’s techniques, but it also analyzed one’s own martial arts and improved their utility.
[Haaa.]
The Supreme Emperor let out an exclamation.
In this short time, he could feel that Bu Eunseol’s martial attainment had become even more profound.
‘To think my own attack gave him such insight.’
A sharp gleam flowed from the Supreme Emperor’s eyes as he sighed.
‘Then I should make sure he never feels “insight” or “enlightenment” again.’
Kwaang!
In an instant, sun-like explosive radiance poured continuously from the Supreme Emperor’s hand.
He began unleashing an unending barrage of attacks so powerful that Bu Eunseol could no longer block them.
Jjeong!
First came the orthodox Invisible Diamond Sword, then—
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
—the demonic Crimson Mist Flowless Sword.
But Bu Eunseol no longer tried to shatter each of the Supreme Emperor’s dazzling sword arts one by one or meet them head-on.
‘In the end, as Seon Woojin, I cannot win.’
Bu Eunseol’s true martial arts were demonic path techniques, each carrying fatal power but most of Seon Woojin’s martial arts emphasized defensive forms, and he still lacked any technique capable of defeating an opponent one level above.
Therefore he used the Thirteen Guiding Energies solely to protect vital acupoints while focusing entirely on movement techniques.
‘A rat-like strategy.’
Seeing Bu Eunseol only trying to widen the distance and flee, the Supreme Emperor sneered and relentlessly pursued.
With his unique sword art that fired sword qi like living creatures, he preemptively blocked every path of retreat, ensuring Bu Eunseol could not escape beyond a three-hundred-zhang radius.
It was as though he had caged Bu Eunseol inside a formation made of sword qi.
‘I’m confident I can hold out.’
Yet Bu Eunseol treated the sword-qi-covered space as though it were his own front yard.
When a martial master of his caliber deliberately dodged and weaved with full intent, catching and attacking him was no easy task.
Swaaak! Hwiik!
Perhaps growing irritated, the Supreme Emperor’s sword art became sharper and more lively.
But the more it did, the faster Bu Eunseol’s movements became.
His movement technique wasn’t particularly fast, but he changed direction freely in midair.
Several times it seemed his body would be pierced by sharp sword forms, yet thanks to the Thirteen Guiding Energies, he avoided fatal injury every time.
Thud.
Finally the Supreme Emperor stopped moving and glared at Bu Eunseol.
‘…To think he was hiding such martial arts.’
If he had used this version of the Thirteen Guiding Energies during the fight with the Sword Demon, he never would have suffered such grievous wounds.
[Hmm.]
And this situation had completely escaped the Supreme Emperor’s calculations.
In the end, to catch this slippery Seon Woojin, he would have to use his true power.
—Kill him? Or withdraw like this?
If the martial arts displayed so far represented Seon Woojin’s full strength, then using true power would allow an instant kill.
But if this was not his limit…?
Flash.
The Supreme Emperor created shining, transparent eyes and stared intently at Bu Eunseol’s panting body.
It was the legendary Internal Observation technique.
Exhausted internal energy reserves, bodily wounds, trembling fingertips, eyes prepared for death—he saw everything in an instant.
‘…That was everything.’
Whether he was hiding another martial art or not, at the very least he had used up every ounce of physical strength his body possessed.
‘Good.’
The Supreme Emperor extended his left hand.
A white current flowed from his palm and began spreading around Bu Eunseol’s body.
‘If you can block this, this Supreme Emperor will quietly withdraw.’
After deliberation, he chose a new option.
He would use an absolute annihilation secret sword art—one that could kill the opponent without resorting to his true power.
